NBA

Knicks just not fit for the ‘King’; fall to Pacers, 101-89

Bring on LeBron! Actually, not really a good time.

If the Knicks were trying to impress LeBron James as he comes to town tomorrow night for his lone Garden appearance this season, the Knicks did the opposite in playing a horrifying fourth quarter last night.

The prevailing theory is James would sign with New York as a free agent this summer if he genuinely feels he can make the Knicks a contender. But they looked like a laughingstock in losing last night to the previously winless Pacers, 101-89, to fall to 1-4.

The Knicks shot 2-of-17 in the fourth quarter, 0-of-7 on treys, and missed their final 10 shots from the field. They went without a field goal for the final 9:21. They scored 15 fourth-quarter points — 33 for the half.

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Pathetic and not the confidence-booster they were looking for entering the LeBron Classic.

“We got to win Friday” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We can’t worry about what we screwed up. We already screwed it up. We’re just going to have to do a heckuva better job than this.”

The Knicks, after gaining their season’s first victory Monday over New Orleans, took a giant step back.

“I don’t want to say something, because I’m so ticked off,” D’Antoni said.

Friday’s atmosphere still should be electric, if uncompetitive. If the Yankees stage their world championship parade Friday, a Cavs spokesman said noted Bronx Bombers fan, James, is not expected to attend the festivities.

There is a chance, however, the Yankees will come to LeBron.

The Knicks have been swamped by celebrity requests, and it’s expected Jay-Z, a minority Nets owner and close friend with James, will be at the Garden.

But what will they witness?

“Good teams catch it on the fly and don’t let this snowball,” said Larry Hughes, who came back to earth with a 2-of-10, 3-turnover evening.

The Knicks’ stone-cold stretch was unexplainable.

“Usually I can give you answers, this one I have to look at the film,” said David Lee, who scored just 2 of his 20 points in the second half.

It was that bad. Sickening possession followed sickening possession — seven straight midway through the fourth without a point. There was a shot-clock violation caused by a bad Hughes pass. Chris Duhon forced an ugly running banker. Lee set an illegal pick. Harrington bricked an open jump shot, then on the next possession lost the ball in the lane. Danilo Gallinari, who had a quiet 11 points, missed on a running hook shot with 2:00 left.

Lee, so hot with his mid-ranger jumper lately, clunked one off the side rim with 1:02 left, down six, to continue the disaster. T.J. Ford (16 points) came down and sank the clinching jumper, giving the Pacers a 97-89 lead with 49 seconds left.

The Knicks couldn’t even take advantage after Pacers star Danny Granger fouled out with 3:51 left.

“We fell in the same traps as last year,” Duhon said. “Our energy never matched theirs.”

Said Lee: “Usually it’s our defense. Tonight it was our offense.”

marc.berman@nypost.com